The road to beautiful design and zero waste is still paved with Eucalyptus leaves & careful planning. After an incredibly successful launch of her zero waste, The Very Good Bra earlier in 2018, Stephanie Devine has just announced that she is going into production for more black bras to fill demand. The pre-sell has commenced and delivery is set for late January 2019. We sat down with Stephanie and asked her what she had learned from launching the world's zero waste bra and what she might be doing differently this time around.
I've had a lot of really positive feedback about how it's the softest, silkiest most comfortable bra they’ve ever bought. I've also, strangely, had great feedback from pregnant women including the delightful Kate Arnell’s post this week, which has had incredible support - both for her and for me.
The learnings were really mostly about understanding costs in such a big and unique production run. I understand where I have to be careful going forward, where things might blow out, and where high minimum quantities significantly add to costs. Also, using a 3rd party fulfilment company out of Hong Kong (closer to our factory) to ship worldwide was a real challenge. I had no idea, for instance that 5% of parcels get lost in the post globally. I’ve never had one lost before!
I have modified the design slightly to use less fabric and more importantly - sewing thread! The sewing thread alone adds around $5 to the bra. I’ve had to work hard to reduce costs to enable the bra to be distributed more widely through wholesalers. Wholesalers are the secret to the brand's future - well one that is ’sustainable’ in every sense! I’m actively talking to global retailers who are keen to stock the bra, so it will be really interesting to see how that all works. I have funded this run myself to enable me to explore these new channels for the bra.
We are streamlining the bra to help reduce manufacturing cost. The pleats were costing a fortune and not essential to the design so it made sense to remove them and create a smoother band. With no spandex, it will never lie completely flat but it has less bulk. Also, because we aren’t using a traditional nylon ’stabiliser’ in the front band, it can ride up a bit more than usual and so we are lining the inner frame with the same soft organic cotton we use to make the hook and eye piece. This should also lengthen its life by making sure it doesn't over-stretch over time. We will make undies slightly larger in each size as they contain no spandex and as such, they rely on the knit for stretch.
The Very Good Bra comes from a position of believing that everything we make in the 21st century should be designed with its end in sight, and the end for this product is as simple as the earth or the compost. Women are under so much pressure to not buy anything, to op-shop and to wear recycled clothes, all of which is fantastic, but there was a time we loved to shop. We loved to treat ourselves to something new and now we feel guilty when we buy anything new. I hope that this brand allows women with a conscience to once again enjoy the pleasure of a new purchase, knowing that it can be fully enjoyed over a long time, without leaving any environmental damage. I hope this is empowering for women (and I’m not here advocating that consumption is power) to be able to consciously choose new things which bring joy without the environmental cost.Images: The Very Good Bra | Kate Arnell